July 8th, 2022 - That Sunny Little Thing Is A Manipulator

 

Hello and happy Friday metal maniacs and craft beer freaks!  The Meista here getting the weekend off to the right start with a pairing of "Manipulator", the great debut album of California metal/hard rock band Tyranny and a crisp and juicy Sunny Little Thing Citrus Wheat Ale from Sierra Nevada Brewing Company!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Tyranny
• Title: "Manipulator"
• Recorded: 1987 at Perspective Sound in Sun Valley, California 
• Release date: October 15th, 1987 (1st studio album by Tyranny)
• Record company: JCI Records / Canyon Records
• Production: Robert Mirabilio
• Album cover art: Hipgnosis 
• Personnel: Billy Aylesworth (songwriting), Matt "Wolff" Chazin (drums and backing vocals), Zack "Throbe" Dillon (bass and backing vocals), J.P. Iacoune (guitars), and Robert Mirabilio (keyboards and vocals), Gary Timmons (guitars), and Paul Vanalstyne (bass)  
• Musical style: Heavy metal, hard rock
• Sound: Blending pure old school heavy metal and hard rock with classic rock, progressive rock, and even a dash of punk, Tyranny's sound is very unique and complex, yet provides some really straightforward rockin' goodness!  Mirabilio's excellent finger work on the keys is reminiscent of Jon Lord and Ken Hensley.
• Major themes: Manipulation, deception, rock and roll, destruction, power, freedom, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Tyranny"
2. "Doctor Deceiver"
3. "Echo Away From Here"
4. "Rock The World"
5. "Manipulator"
6. "Toxic Wastelands"
7. "Addict"
8. "Living Your Way"
9. "Fight For Freedom"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company (Chico, California)
• Website: https://sierranevada.com/
• Brew: Sunny Little Thing Citrus Wheat Ale 
• Style: Wheat Ale
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• IBUs: 10
• Ingredients: 2-Row Pale, Wheat, Oats, and Cara-Pils malts with Crystal hops, Ale yeast, and orange and grapefruit
• Pour: The Sunny Little Thing pours a hazy, golden yellow hue with a frothy, bright white head with great retention and lots of sticky lacing.
• Nose: The nose is citrusy, fruity, and malty.  There are aromas of fresh squeezed orange juice, tangerine, pink grapefruit juice, cracked wheat, fresh bread, crackery biscuit, and a hint of soft caramel.
• Taste: The taste of the Sunny Little Thing follows the nose with lots of citrusy, fruity, and malty flavors.  There are notes of Orange Crush soda, Sunny-D, orange juice and pith, pink grapefruit juice, tangerine, lemon, mango, sweet biscuit, and light toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Light-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel is very crisp and refreshing with a clean finish.

Overall pairing: The Sunny Little Thing is a delightfully crisp and fruity brew... a great beer for the wonderful rock and roll sensibility of the very underrated Tyranny and their killer debut album, "Manipulator"!  'Nuff said!     

Cheers and hails!!

And make sure to check out my interview with Robert Mirabilio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqvPJDrOO6U